At the seventh annual Crossover Mission Light Up the Night Gala at Bent Pine Golf Club, members of the Crossover Dribble Team radiated with pride and joy in the game of basketball as they warmed up the crowd. Their illuminating performance, dribbling with lighted basketballs, enthralled the guests, who watched from the patio before retiring to the dining room for dinner.
Afterward, emcee Neal Watkins introduced the 2021 Dribble Team, saying, “They’re boys, they’re girls, they’re longtime athlete stars and first-time basketball players. They’ve dribbled near spaceships and cruise ships and scholarships.”
As attendees nibbled on a trio of delectable desserts, Crossover co-founders Antoine Jennings and Cathy De Schouwer spoke about all that can be accomplished when you ‘cross over’ racial divides, sharing the remarkable progress of the nonprofit over the past few years.
“It truly does take a village,” said Jennings, referencing the quote he said is often used without much thought.
“I think back into my younger years. Who was in my village? Who played a factor, and how did they play a factor? Who is in your village?” asked Jennings. “When we invest in our kids, when they feel nurtured by the village, then they become successful adults and they understand the importance of giving back. They take pride in the village.”
“Despite the challenges of COVID and division in our country, we have remained steadfast in our mission of supporting the youth that need it the most in our community,” said De Schouwer. “We’re training 80 student-athletes between the ages of 9 and 18 in the game of basketball and providing vital, one-on-one academic support every day.”
Referencing their 2021 accomplishments, De Schouwer said that 90 percent of participants maintained a minimum GPA of 2.0, with 60 percent of those maintaining a 3.0 or higher; 98 percent stayed out of the juvenile justice system and have no known gang involvement; and the graduating class of 2021 achieved a 100 percent graduation and college entry rate.
In Indian River County, 60 percent of public-school students are under-resourced and at risk. To meet that need, De Schouwer said, Crossover is scaling up operations in order to double the number of students served in the next few years.
The construction of their brand-new facility, where students will be able to play basketball while receiving tutoring and mentorship under one giant roof, she added, has enabled the development of Transcendence Academy, which will serve the growing number of girls hoping to participate.
“Antoine and I stand together as equals, together with our families, as a symbol of unity between historically separated populations. Crossover Mission is a bridge for us to work together to make a difference,” said De Schouwer.
“When I was 7 years old, I begged my mom to be trained by Antoine Jennings Sr. As a kid, when I looked at Coach Jennings, I saw the NBA. I saw greatness and everything that was cool. His son was the best on the team and everything I wanted to be,” said Louis De Schouwer, the last of the original members. He and Jennings’ son AJ were the impetus for Crossover Mission.
“The relationships I built in Crossover are profound and rare. As lifelong brothers, we cross over race, status, background, composition and family. Crossover has changed my life. Crossover is family, and these bonds will never be broken,” he added.
For more information, visit crossovermission.com.
Photos by Kaila Jones
